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\nDue to the gas crisis that was occurring in Mexico when we
\narrived, we were delayed in the city of Leon for a week before finally arriving
\nin Guadalajara. Then we wanted to jump right in to language school, so it was
\nalmost 3 weeks before we finally made it into the immigration office in
\nGuadalajara.<\/div>\n
\narrived, we were delayed in the city of Leon for a week before finally arriving
\nin Guadalajara. Then we wanted to jump right in to language school, so it was
\nalmost 3 weeks before we finally made it into the immigration office in
\nGuadalajara.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStep 3: Visit the
\nImmigration Office in Mexico<\/b><\/div>\n
\nImmigration Office in Mexico<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWe found the Mexican Immigration page online, downloaded the
\nin-country immigration forms we needed, and filled them out. We dutifully made copies
\nof our passports and had more passport photos taken at a (rather pricey) photo
\nstudio in Tlaquepaque. We then arrived at the Immigration office a few minutes
\nbefore it opened and showed the greeting staff the forms. They gave us a ticket
\nand showed us where to sit. We were quickly called up to a window and showed
\nthe woman our paperwork (no English spoken there). She didn\u2019t like my paperwork
\nsince, as I had been warned at the Mexican Consulate in Denver, I needed to use
\nmy full and complete name for everything. (Lisa, who had filled out the online forms,
\nhad not been aware of this.) I was sent to a computer kiosk to refill it, not a
\npleasant experience, as everything was in Spanish and a line was forming behind
\nme. Nonetheless, I was eventually successful. Lisa joined me in the line to
\nredo hers for another picky reason.<\/div>\n
\nin-country immigration forms we needed, and filled them out. We dutifully made copies
\nof our passports and had more passport photos taken at a (rather pricey) photo
\nstudio in Tlaquepaque. We then arrived at the Immigration office a few minutes
\nbefore it opened and showed the greeting staff the forms. They gave us a ticket
\nand showed us where to sit. We were quickly called up to a window and showed
\nthe woman our paperwork (no English spoken there). She didn\u2019t like my paperwork
\nsince, as I had been warned at the Mexican Consulate in Denver, I needed to use
\nmy full and complete name for everything. (Lisa, who had filled out the online forms,
\nhad not been aware of this.) I was sent to a computer kiosk to refill it, not a
\npleasant experience, as everything was in Spanish and a line was forming behind
\nme. Nonetheless, I was eventually successful. Lisa joined me in the line to
\nredo hers for another picky reason.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBack at the window, we were given another document that we
\nneeded to immediately take to a bank, where we would pay approximately $200
\neach, obtain a receipt, and return to Immigration.<\/div>\n
\nneeded to immediately take to a bank, where we would pay approximately $200
\neach, obtain a receipt, and return to Immigration.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStep 4: Pay the Fee at
\na Local Bank<\/b><\/div>\n
\na Local Bank<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWe walked a few blocks to find a bank, took a number, and sat
\nin the waiting area. Mexico is basically a cash society, so people go to banks
\nwith cash to pay their bills \u2013 water, electric, cable, phone, and, in our case,
\nImmigration payments. There\u2019s almost always people waiting in the chairs. When
\nour number was called, we went to the window and showed the form we were given.
\nThe Immigration woman told us that the receipt we got from the bank had to have
\nour names EXACTLY as they were on our passports. The bank\u2019s system wouldn\u2019t
\nallow the hyphen in Lisa\u2019s last name (Hamm-Greenawalt), so she is Lisa Hamm
\nGreenawalt in Mexico.<\/div>\n
\nin the waiting area. Mexico is basically a cash society, so people go to banks
\nwith cash to pay their bills \u2013 water, electric, cable, phone, and, in our case,
\nImmigration payments. There\u2019s almost always people waiting in the chairs. When
\nour number was called, we went to the window and showed the form we were given.
\nThe Immigration woman told us that the receipt we got from the bank had to have
\nour names EXACTLY as they were on our passports. The bank\u2019s system wouldn\u2019t
\nallow the hyphen in Lisa\u2019s last name (Hamm-Greenawalt), so she is Lisa Hamm
\nGreenawalt in Mexico.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStep 5: Back to
\nImmigration<\/b><\/div>\n
\nImmigration<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nReturning to the Immigration office, we waited until the
\nwoman who had previously helped us was available, and gave her our receipt. She
\ntook that, along with our copies and the Immigration permit we got at the
\nborder, and told us that we would get an emailed approval in one or two weeks. <\/div>\n
\nwoman who had previously helped us was available, and gave her our receipt. She
\ntook that, along with our copies and the Immigration permit we got at the
\nborder, and told us that we would get an emailed approval in one or two weeks. <\/div>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n![](\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-S1M-mFW0hWw\/XLh-Y8mby1I\/AAAAAAAAACg\/7hUq8M823gcBN9fyWUsRcNcI7p0LRsfmQCEwYBhgL\/s1600\/IMN-filling%2Bout%2Bpaperwork.jpg\")
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\nLisa and Lexie got their emails in a week. We emailed it to
\nLisa\u2019s Mexican friend in Evergreen, Gabriela, to confirm that the dense
\nlegalistic language in Spanish said we were approved. She said yes! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nLisa\u2019s Mexican friend in Evergreen, Gabriela, to confirm that the dense
\nlegalistic language in Spanish said we were approved. She said yes! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nBut mine didn\u2019t arrive until a week later, causing a bit of anxiety.
\nWe were each given an official Mexican identification number called a NUT, for
\nNumero Unico de Tramite. <\/div>\n
\nWe were each given an official Mexican identification number called a NUT, for
\nNumero Unico de Tramite. <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBut we weren\u2019t finished. <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStep 6: Photos and
\nFingerprints<\/b><\/div>\n
\nFingerprints<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWe now had to go back to the Immigration office again to get
\nour fingerprints taken and give them photos, since they deemed that photos we
\nhad submitted earlier in the process were slightly too big. So we got a new set
\nof photos taken (in the designated \u201cinfantil\u201d size), and scheduled to take
\nanother morning off from language school to finish the process.<\/div>\n
\nour fingerprints taken and give them photos, since they deemed that photos we
\nhad submitted earlier in the process were slightly too big. So we got a new set
\nof photos taken (in the designated \u201cinfantil\u201d size), and scheduled to take
\nanother morning off from language school to finish the process.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWe again arrived at Immigration right before it opened, got
\nour tickets and were shown to a different set of seats. Lisa went to one window
\nand Lexie and I ended up going to another. They accepted Lisa\u2019s photos and took
\nher fingerprints, giving her one small napkin to get the purple ink off her
\nfingertips. They also accepted Lexie\u2019s photos, but not mine. They said the
\nwhite background, which looked pale gray, was too dark and I needed to get new
\nphotos again. <\/div>\n
\nour tickets and were shown to a different set of seats. Lisa went to one window
\nand Lexie and I ended up going to another. They accepted Lisa\u2019s photos and took
\nher fingerprints, giving her one small napkin to get the purple ink off her
\nfingertips. They also accepted Lexie\u2019s photos, but not mine. They said the
\nwhite background, which looked pale gray, was too dark and I needed to get new
\nphotos again. <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nFirst we went to the bathrooms to try to scrub the
\nfingerprint ink off our fingers! In the Men\u2019s Room, a man sprayed my hands with
\nsome solution and gave me paper towels, so I was fairly successful. Lisa and
\nLexie didn\u2019t get the same treatment in the Women\u2019s Room so they had to work
\nharder, and Lexie\u2019s fingerprints were purple for a day or two. <\/p>\n
\nfingerprint ink off our fingers! In the Men\u2019s Room, a man sprayed my hands with
\nsome solution and gave me paper towels, so I was fairly successful. Lisa and
\nLexie didn\u2019t get the same treatment in the Women\u2019s Room so they had to work
\nharder, and Lexie\u2019s fingerprints were purple for a day or two. <\/p>\n
\n![](\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kUnHjeSzuKU\/XLh7108IQbI\/AAAAAAAAACM\/eidoB_7_RWMECQb60gCWOrnQKI_4pSfeACEwYBhgL\/s1600\/IMN-Fingerprints.jpg\")
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\nThen we went in search of a nearby place to get photos taken,
\nfound one a couple blocks away, and went back to the Immigration office with
\nthe new pictures. Success! <\/div>\n
\nfound one a couple blocks away, and went back to the Immigration office with
\nthe new pictures. Success! <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n <\/span>Then they told us to
\ncome back in a week for our Temporary Resident (Green) cards.<\/div>\n
\ncome back in a week for our Temporary Resident (Green) cards.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStep 7: Temporary
\nresidents!<\/b><\/div>\n
\nresidents!<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nA week later we went back to the Immigration office a third
\ntime. Once again, very efficiently, we got our numbers, got called to the final
\nissue and signed for our Green Cards. <\/div>\n
\ntime. Once again, very efficiently, we got our numbers, got called to the final
\nissue and signed for our Green Cards. <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nFinally, six months after the first visit to the Denver
\nConsulate and 6 weeks after we crossed the border, we held our Mexican Green
\nCards in our hot little hands! We were officially Temporary Residents of
\nMexico.<\/p>\n
\nConsulate and 6 weeks after we crossed the border, we held our Mexican Green
\nCards in our hot little hands! We were officially Temporary Residents of
\nMexico.<\/p>\n
\n![](\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1eVEzIYDzRU\/XLh77Wxe5YI\/AAAAAAAAACI\/1Y7ojTfooyEwheeKmVTaphjw5rjUfk4NQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/IMN-Bob%2Band%2BLexie.jpg\")
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